A Collection of Tales from MidChilda
by Shiroi mahotsukai
Summary: A collection of short stories I've written over time, all collected together in one placce. Will probably be updateted whenever I write a new story. Covers the whole spectrum of genres from humour to poetry to horror.
1. Just a Little Bit Too Far

I decided I'd better upload these, if anything they'll help me keep track of all my short stories.

So here's the first one.

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN or its characters.

* * *

**Just a Bit Too Far**

I stared out of the window, stared at a blood-red sky. The hospital room was dark, the only light coming from the sunset outside. The wind was picking up, black clouds raced along the edge of the horizon, threatening to overwhelm the light of the sun.

The weather outside matched my mood, my normally joyous and light-hearted demeanour was running parallel with black feelings of worry and guilt. I ran my fingers through my head of long brown hair and cast my eyes around the room for a mirror.

I looked awful; but I couldn't bring myself to leave the side of the blond man lying on the bed by which I sat. His hair lay flat upon his head matted with sweat, his face twisted in a grimace of pain.

"Yuuno-kun." the words were less than a murmur, not as loud as the wind, yet he stirred as if somehow, someway he'd heard me.

Two days he'd been like this, found unconscious in the infinity Library, head resting on his arms as though he were merely taking a nap. Until you saw his face that was, a sleeping person would never show a face like that one, not in the foulest nightmare.

Everyone had come to see what had happened to him, the room was flooded with visitors, literally from sunup to sundown making as much noise as at a house party and he hadn't budged an inch.

We were still waiting, Hayate, Fate and I, for the results of the scans that had been performed on him after they brought him in. These scans would tell us how long ago he had been attacked, for it was obvious that this was an attack. It should also tell us who did it, that is provided the assault had been magical and the residues could be read.

We had been given special permission to stay by his side day and night, just in case the one who attacked him wasn't satisfied and tried to come after him again.

I alone now sat by Yuuno's bedside, everyone else had returned home, Hayate to complete her paperwork and Fate to look after Vivio – I didn't want her to see Yuuno like this.

I knew that it wasn't my fault that he was like this, yet for some reason I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe if I'd taken more time to visit him I might have been there to see what happened and prevent it.

The longer I sat there and the more I thought about it the more it seemed to me that it would have been so easy to go to the library that day after work, just like I'd intended to. I wonder if things would have been different if I had.

My eyes lingered on his face, I was sure I saw the corners of his mouth twitch, was he coming to? No, I guess I was seeing things; I haven't slept since I first saw him. My body longs for rest, but I can't sleep – not until I know for sure – once I know it will ease my heart.

The only thing we've confirmed about the incident is that Yuuno hit his head, hard on the back. The reason could have been anything from a fall to an assault so it's not much, but it's all we have to go on.

The door opened and I wearily got to my feet, only to sit down again as Hayate came through the doors.

"Has there been any change Nanoha-chan?" she asked me, her eyes full of worry. She took the chair next to me as I answered.

"No, none at all."

" Nothing?"

"I thought he moved once but it was probably my imagination." My voice was dull with fatigue and Hayate looked as bad as I felt.

We continued to sit beside Yuuno's bed as the sky darkened behind us. There was no clock in the room, so there was no way to find out what time it was, the best we could do was guess by the position of the moon…or we could have if it wasn't covered by clouds.

My memory of that night is quite fuzzy, because I was so tired, but I'll do my best to try and say exactly what happened. Around 11pm (I think) Hayate returned home saying that she needed to sleep. Truth was I also needed to sleep but I was beyond the point of trying because I knew it was an exercise in futility.

All through the night I sat there, my eyelids grew more leaden by the minute. I knew I couldn't keep this up much longer, but we should be getting the results of the scans today and then I'll know what happened and be able to sleep again.

I couldn't tell you what time of the morning it was when I looked up at the sound of an opening door. I was relieved this time it was a member of the hospital staff, one of those who had seen to Yuuno when he was first brought in.

She crooked a finger at me and I wearily got to my feet and headed for the door. Outside she looked at me and I saw her face, really saw it. She didn't look sad – so that meant no bad news right? It was more of a perplexed look, like someone trying to get their head around a difficult riddle.

"What is it?" I got straight to the point; I had no energy to be excruciatingly polite about it.

"There's…something strange about this, you see…we did the tests for magic residue and we found some…"

"Then what was strange about it? Whose residue was it?"

"It was…the magical signature emitted by Yuuno Scrya."

"You're trying to tell me Yuuno attacked himself?" I exclaimed.

"That is…what the tests we did tell us."

My mind was still fuzzy but something was getting through. _Something's wrong here, unless he, no way, he wouldn't, unless, but_… I couldn't think straight, it was like a fog was clouding my mind.

A loud sound made me turn around and stare at the empty bed where Yuuno had lain but a moment before, I also noticed that the ground floor window was open.

"He did, didn't he?" I was shaking, all of this and for what, so he could– "YUUUUUNOOO-KUUUNN!"

Several blocks over, the young archaeologist felt a chill run down his spine as he crouched behind the corner of a building. "Maybe trying to get more attention this way was a bad idea."

* * *

As for why I wrote this, well I heard this "joke" a while ago and got this idea into my head and couldn't get it out.

So here's the joke.

A man is standing at a bus-stop when he is joined by a second man.

The second man says to the first "Do you want to see an amazing trick?"

With nothing better to do the first man says okay.

The second man takes out a hammer and says for the first man to hit him in the head with it.

The first man exclaims "No way, I can't do that!" but the second man keeps insisting until he does.

After he's been hit by the hammer the second man drops to the floor bleeding.

Panicking the first man calls an ambulance and waits for it to arrive.

He travels to the hospital with the other man and sits by his bedside.

The second man goes into a coma, while the first man waits by his bedside out of guilt.

As time passes and the second man doesn't wake up the first man's feeling of guilt grow.

He starts to drink excessively to drown his feelings.

His life starts spiralling down into disaster, he loses his job, and his girlfriend leaves him.

But he still stays by this man's side.

Weeks later as he still sits there now beginning to contemplate suicide, the second man suddenly jumps out of bed performs an elaborate bow and cries "TA-DA"

What do you think? Awful isn't it?


	2. A Night in Midsummer

This is the second of my shorts, my first attempt at writing something even remotely scary. Frankly I don't have that much hope for it.

* * *

**A Night in Midsummer**

The sun was setting on another warm summer day. Today had been a great day at school, our normal teacher had been ill and we'd had an amazing substitute, a blue-haired woman with red eyes who looked oddly familiar and had… strange methods of teaching us.

I took my time walking home, enjoying the sunlight and the breeze. When I did get home it was almost dark so there wasn't much time before I had to go to bed, just enough for dinner and desert – a delicious home made ice cream.

I said goodnight to Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama - who was on leave from work - and went upstairs to bed. The clock on the wall opposite my bed said that it was nine O'clock pm.

I couldn't sleep; I lay awake looking at the ceiling as the clock ticked. As time wore on I finally began to doze off, fatigue overriding everything else in my body and numbing my brain.

A cloud passed over the moon; it's shadow blanketing my room in absolute darkness.

That was the first time I heard it, faint as the wind, at the upper edge of hearing, piercing and hollow.

Laughter, shrieking, hysterical, laughter echoing through the night, I huddled up in my bed and drew the covers up to my chin. I strained my ears to catch the sound again…

Nothing.

Maybe I was simply hearing things, I was tired after all. There was a small sound outside my room, the creaking of floorboards perhaps? Yes floorboards, nothing else makes that same soft creaking noise.

All this ran through my head in the time it took my door to open a crack.

"Vivio, Fate-mama and I are going to bed now, good night, we'll see you in the morning." she smiled at me, her face illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the thin curtains.

"Yeah….'night mama" so what if my voice was shaking a little, I was still scared.

"Is something wrong, Vivio?"

"No, I'm just tired mama, I'll see you in the morning." I rolled over in my bed to face the window and closed my eyes, trying in vain once again to sleep. After exhausting every method I knew to entice sleep I gave up and settled down to wait for dawn.

It came again, louder this time but still hovering at the very upper end of what I could hear, that same haunting, discordant melody of laughter. I couldn't make out where it was coming from; it couldn't be coming from inside the house because there was no one here besides my mamas and me. Maybe someone in the neighbourhood was having a party and the laughter was distorted by distance.

That wasn't right though, it couldn't be. I had never heard anyone laugh like that before; there was no way that came from a human throat.

That didn't leave me with any other option except the previously mentioned overactive imagination. There could be no other explanation, after all big kids don't believe in ghosts.

All my efforts to reassure myself were rendered useless when the strange laughter echoed through my room again. Once more it was louder, I knew where it was coming from this time and I was afraid, the noise was outside the window.

Shaking with fear I walked slowly over to my windows, the silhouette of something was visible beyond the curtains. Swallowing I took hold of the curtains, one with each hand and pulled them apart.

I looked out at the night sky, the moon and the stars. Whatever it was, it was gone now.

I turned back to my bed, lay back down and turned to face the open window.

I froze; there was something there, something person shaped but shrouded in shadow, even while standing in moonlight.

I tried to work moisture back into my suddenly dry mouth to no avail. As the figure in the night turned towards me it was illuminated. It had no eyes in its pasty white face and rivets of bright blood dyed black in the moonlight tricked down to fall in streams to the ground below, its thin lips curved in a twisted mockery of a cheery smile.

It turned its bloodless face to the sky and opened its mouth, letting out that same hideous laugh, the same high, haunted laugh. Even though it had no eyes I could swear it was looking right at me when it lowered its head.

No sooner had the echoing of its laugh faded than dozens more of the creatures began to materialise outside of the window, half the size of the original – like its monstrous children.

I backed myself into the wall unable to cry out, my chest frozen by their eyeless stare. They began to move towards me, they passed through the window as if it didn't even exist. They drifted across my room towards me, gliding like spectres.

The tallest of the group stopped in front of me, still I couldn't cry out, I couldn't do anything as it reached out for me.

Its head bent down, its blood soaked face an inch away from mine. Its hands like black ice as they encircled my head. Its mouth opened an endless abyss of blackness and I screamed.

* * *

So, Did I scare you?


	3. Twas the Night Before Christmas

This is the third of my shorts a poem this time, something festive, fit for the season.

Disclaimer: I don't own this Poem either.

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**Twas the night before Christmas for Riot Force Six**

Twas the night before Christmas, for Riot Force Six  
Busy workers were leaving, their feelings were mixed.  
Many people had told them to be out of there,  
For something this night had been planned for with care.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,  
While visions of training drills danced in their heads.  
And Fate in her bedclothes, and me in mine too,  
For to lie down and sleep was what we wanted to do..

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.  
Away to the window I flew like a flash,  
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow  
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.  
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,  
A sleigh and a dog, who was dressed like a deer.

With a sweet little driver looking ready to sing,  
I knew in a moment who'd planned the whole thing.  
More rapid than an eagle her vehicle it came,  
And she whistled, and shouted, and called the dog by his name!

"Now then Zafira you mustn't damage the roof  
Your not a real deer so you haven't a hoof  
Be silent tonight as you have always been  
I'm sure you know why we must not be seen."

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,  
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.  
So up to the house-top the dog-deer it flew,  
With the sleigh full of Toys, and 'St Nicholas' too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof  
The scratching and scraping of each large not-hoof.  
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,  
Down the chimney the driver came with a bound.

She was dressed all in fur, from her head to her foot,  
And her clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.  
A bundle of Toys she had flung on her back,  
And she looked like a peddler, just opening her pack.

Her eyes-how they twinkled! Her smile oh so merry!  
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry!  
Her cute little mouth was drawn up like a bow,  
And the beard on her chin was as white as the snow.

The ghost of black wings still shone at her back,  
And feathers still fell wreathing the sack.  
She had a sweet face but lacked a little in height  
Still seeing her there was a wonderful sight!

In her suit short and round, like a little old elf,  
And I laughed when I saw her, in spite of myself!  
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,  
Soon gave me to know I'd hit the nail on the head.

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,  
Hung and filled several stockings, then turned with a jerk.  
And laying her finger aside of her nose,  
And giving a nod, up the chimney she rose!

She sprang to her sleigh, to her dog gave a whistle,  
And away the two flew like the down of a thistle.  
But I heard her exclaim, 'ere she drove out of sight,  
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!**"**

* * *

I tried to change the poem as little as I could get away with, I wanted to keep the flavour of the original as much as possible so I didn't alter anything that worked fine as it was.


	4. Memories of a King

Memories of a King

"You know, looking back over my life I've done a lot. I'm certain I've managed to convince the Belkans that peace is far better for society than constant wars… most of them anyway. I'm also sure that I'll go down in history for it, but those are times I look back on without any real sense of fondness, satisfaction certainly, but not happiness.

No, the happiest memories I have come from the gardens in the palace of Belka's ruler. Those gardens were here long before I took my first steps in this world and will be here long after my bones have returned to dust. They are immutable and unchanging, not even the great wars touched the gardens. Perhaps it was a sign of what our people really believed in, that true beauty will endure, that even if this ugly world of ours presses in on it, it can survive and bloom into something wonderful. Or perhaps this is all the ramblings of an old woman looking back.

It makes me smile to remember the past, does that mean I had a good life? I wonder how everyone's handling things now I'm not there anymore, does everything still function?"

The children grouped around the old woman's bed listened with eager ears, they were used to this scene, every week they'd come here to listen to this strange lady talk about her past. They knew she was the former Saint Kaiser but that was how she had introduced herself "Just a strange old lady" she had said. They were sceptical at first, listening to an old person couldn't be fun could it? But each tale of wondrous places and fabulous adventures kept them sitting there for hours, the lady never ran out of stories it seemed.

She couldn't get up out of bed anymore, not without an aide and walking cane anyway, that had never dampened the fire in her eyes though, that passion hadn't left her since her first battle. It was the fire of one who did everything with the same energy they fought with.

"It's hot, that's what I think of first when I remember battles, even in the dead of winter the heat of combat makes you sweat. The second thing is blood, so much blood. It doesn't come out if it stains you know, you can't understand if you don't see it for yourself. The stillness after a fight where all you understand is that you're still alive and the ones you're fighting aren't, and that's all that matters to you. You don't care what you were fighting for, be it money, loyalty or revenge, you just enjoy the sweet taste of sheer life.

You remember that, don't you Klaus? The first time we fought on the same side, at the end we could barely stand up, we had to help each get back up that hill. They probably thought we were mad, two young knights spattered with blood and gore laughing uncontrollably rolling down the hill after the third attempt to climb had failed. We stayed there that night, in the aftermath of bloody slaughter, we didn't make a fire – no one wanted to see what was left there.

We dressed each other's wounds and collapsed against each other waiting. It was one of those moments for me, that instant of clarity that stays with you for your entire life. Just the two of us talking, it was only then I even learned your name, and you wouldn't have told me if I hadn't asked. I think on it now and I realise that I learned more about you in that one conversation than I did in the decades we've known each other since; we poured our hearts out to each other like two old friends.

Where are you Klaus? What are you doing? Are you happy? I feel as though I'd like to see you again, one more time before the inevitable happens. You've been a great friend to me for so long, I won't feel as though it's complete unless you're there with me when it happens. I know you're married now and you have a child, how old is she twelve? Fourteen, maybe? I can't remember such things, but if they will come bring them, I think I'd like to see them once."

The Saint King slowly drifted off to sleep. As the woman by the bedside continued to write out what the tired old lady had said – for the fourth time, but she'd promised to copy down everything – a rhythmic knocking rang through the room as the door slowly swung open. Standing framed in the doorway was a bent old man, his head devoid of all but the wispiest tufts of hair and his steps shuffling as he entered the small bedroom. Directly behind him came a young girl, her hair a shade of green that was hard to define, it seemed to shimmer between silver and green-brown as the lights illuminated her. In her eyes were the faintest glimmers of the passion her father had held almost all his life.

As the old man slowly walked towards the bed he stretched out one hand and laid it atop the hand of the former Saint King. At that comradely gesture the eyes of tired King fluttered open, settling on the child.

"If you remember only one thing about your father" she said "know that he was a man like no other and as he would always say with enough willpower anything is possible."

"My wife sends her best, she was unable to attend to a sickness, but she said to give you her greetings."

"Thank you Klaus." With that her eyes drifted closed once again "Yes… thank you."

She would never again open them.


	5. With the Right People

A little something I wrote after witnessing a heart-warming sight.

* * *

With the right people, there can be miracles.

"Vivio, Vivio it's alright,"

"No, Nanoha-mama it's not alright! Look at me!" The girl in question lay on a bed covered with white sheets and a large duvet, her legs were wrapped in thick plaster and she sat supported by several different straps and pulleys.

"Calm down, Vivio," the voice of the brown haired woman at her side held a note of quiet but certain authority and the girl on the bed looked down at her knees. "It was just an accident, the Doctors say that you will recover and be as healthy as you ever were."

"But Nanoha-mama, they said that it could take months before I can stand on my own again!" with a grimace of pain Vivio turned to face her mother directly. "I can't do this mama, I can't do it!"

"What do you mean?"

"This! All of it! I can't lie in bed like this, it's been two months now and I can't even take of this plaster cast." Her eyes filled with sudden tears and Nanoha moved to her side to hold her, with Vivio's head buried in her chest she made a gesture towards the door, signalling for the blonde woman on the other side to come in.

Fate Testarrossa sat on the other side of Vivio's bed and spoke in her soft voice.

"I've been to talk with your doctor Vivio, he says that you only have to keep that on for another four months."

"Four months…" the hope that had shone for a moment in Vivio's eyes dwindled from points of light to caverns of despair. "Four months, I can't do this, maybe I should just lie here, not like I've got anything to look forward to do I?"

"You have your hopes and your dreams." Nanoha held her closer and looked pleadingly at Fate as if to say 'help me, you say something as well'.

Smiling sadly fate complied "Vivio, you're only ten, you've got the greater portion of your life by far yet to live, you can't just give up like this."

"Mama, have you ever felt that there was no point in getting up in the morning, that maybe life wasn't really all that worth it?"

"Vivio, don't ever say that again! That is stu-" Nanoha began to snap at her, but thought better of it and instead opted for a more reasonable argument. "You have to believe I understand what you're going through, I had the same problem when I was only a few years older than you."

"I-it's all so incom…er…. incompre… ugggh, I don't understand any of it!" Vivio glared at her mama – why couldn't she just understand?

"Alright I'll tell you about me then, maybe you'll get it." Nanoha leaned away from Vivio, giving an unvoiced request for her to lie down again. "You see, Vivio, when I was still fairly new to my job in the Bureau I was injured on a mission, just like you were. Mine was more serious, I was…. well, I was run through and put in a body cast. I couldn't register anything but pain and all I saw was darkness. I could hear someone screaming in the background but it sounded so far away I couldn't hear properly."

"When I finally woke up, everything was blurred, like looking through water at a movie played in slow-motion. The first thing I heard was the doctor in his white coat; it took me a while to work out what he was saying so I missed some of it. I heard ''she'll never fly again…. be lucky if she can walk after ten years or so…. might be in the bed for most of her life.' well, you get the gist of it, that's what I heard."

"In that moment I was crushed, I felt as thought everything I had had been ripped away from me, as though all of my strength, my will to fight had been sapped. I looked at my body, wrapped in bandages, unable to move more than an inch or so. I thought to myself 'does it matter?' 'Is there any reason to care anymore? If I'm just going to lie here forever'."

"Mama…"

"Let me finish" Nanoha smiled gently to take the sting out of the obvious rebuttal. "The day after I first woke up I actually regained enough consciousness to speak somewhat clearly. I was right on the verge of asking the nurse if there was any hope when the door opened, I, expecting to see the white coat of the doctor coming to give me my morning tests, so I lay back on the hospital bed and pretended to be asleep. Instead of a doctor it was Fate-chan and Yuuno-kun, they had come to see how I was. I later learned that they along with Chrono-kun, Amy-san and Lindy-san had also come to visit me."

"Looking at the concern on their faces I had a new thought, 'why should I give up?' There were all of these people that still believed in me, despite what they said the doctors still came to test me every day, they hadn't given up on me. If everyone else wouldn't give up on me what right did I have to give up on myself?"

Having finished her account Nanoha looked back at her adopted daughter to see tears in the young girls eyes..

"I-I'm sorry mama, I didn't know, I-I thought that…just."

"It's alright, it's not your fault, I doubt you were born then."

"But, how did you do it? How did you carry on, when they told you that?"

"Because there were people who needed me to get better, there were people who were counting on me and who believed in me."

"But I don't understand."

"Let me tell you a story now, Vivio" Fate spoke from the other side of the room. "When I was still a child, younger than even you, I didn't have a very good relationship with my mother. Precia not Lindy. She was the world to me; I would have done anything for her."

"But when I couldn't get all of the Jewel Seeds she didn't like me anymore, or at least she stopped letting me believe she did. That was when she told me that I wasn't really her daughter, that I was nothing but a fake, an imitation of the real thing, useless-"

"That's not true! Fate-mama is Fate-mama, just like I am who I am, that sort of thing doesn't matter at all!"

"I know dear, I know. But back then I didn't have anyone like your Nanoha-mama to tell me that. It wasn't that that bothered me though; I thought that I could carry on, so what if I wasn't Mother's real daughter. I could still do as she asked, could still help her get better."

"It was what happened after that that really hurt me. This was after I had been arrested by the bureau and Mother spoke to me, she said 'I have always hated you Fate, since the moment I created you I have despised you'"

"When she said that to me I couldn't take it, I collapsed; it was a good thing Arf was there to catch me. That was my first clue; my second clue was the looks on the faces of those around me when I fell. It all came together for me when I was lying in bed aboard the Athra later that day, after everyone had gone to arrest my mother."

"What I understood at that time was that it is only those who really believe in you who you should believe in. Was it my mother who had desperately tried to become my friend? To understand me? Would my mother have stood up to the one who was abusing me and become wounded for my sake. No, it was not my mother, it was my familiar and it was Nanoha and Yuuno who tried to help."

"They tried to help despite everything I said to them. Despite me ignoring the things they said to me, despite me lashing out and hurting Nanoha, she only became more determined to help. That's when it all became clear to me, as long as there is one person who will stand by your side, as long as you have someone to hold on to when you need a shoulder, it doesn't matter what you've lost, you can regain happiness from the tiniest flicker, but if you have no one, it becomes so hard to find a reason to carry on fighting."

It was only when Fate had finished speaking that Vivio realised that she had stood up sometime during her story and gone to stand at the window.

"Look whose coming to see you Vivio, It's your school friends and that other girl, Einhart. I want you to spend some time with them and then I want you to tell us how you feel." Fate gestured to Nanoha and the two got up and left the room, pointing Vivio's friends in the right direction.

After they had left the room, Nanoha and Fate stood outside watching through the blinds on the door as Vicio talked with her friends, Rio said something and they laughed. When they finally left she looked so much happier that Nanoha didn't even need to ask.

The two of them walked back to tell everyone else who was worried about her.

They were smiling.

She wouldn't give up, she had the right people by her side.

* * *

AN: This one comes with an omake!

* * *

**With a Little Bit of Courage**

Fate Testarrossa was prepared for battle, the night was beginning to settle, the streets awash with the idle chatter of those who had just returned from work.

Fate had been ready for trouble like this all day; she had known something was going to happen as soon as Nanoha told her that she had to work late, and asked her if she could watch Vivio while the girl had some of her friends over to the house.

She sighed; it had all been going so well to, they had managed to get by until evening without anything unexpected cropping up. However once everyone had retreated inside (Vivio in her wheelchair had to be pushed) in order to escape the chill of the late autumn night, disaster struck.

Now Fate was standing in the kitchen of her own home preparing to lead by example and stick up for her friend's beliefs. So she waited, her arms folded over her chest prepared to move fast as lightning to intercept any moves made by her enemy. She could do this, she was confident and she burned inside with determination.

"No, Vivio, I don't care _where _Yuuno brought them from you're not having any cookies before dinner."


	6. The goto Guy

I really do think that Yuuno is the type of guy to get saddled with something like this.

* * *

The Go-to Guy

Yuuno Scrya was not a man who by nature took to complaining. Rather he took strict measures to make sure he did not become one of those people, he had always found that those who spent their time complaining rarely got anything done.

He was not above grumbling as events unfolded in an unsatisfactory way however (Late book returns and people messing up his precisely ordered shelves would set him off) but it was all good-natured muttering under his breath while he sorted it out.

The Infinity Library, where he worked, was a place where those who didn't get anything done on time fell behind disastrously, and as observation will show disastrous causes often produce disastrous results.

This was the reason that every week Yuuno held a seminar about the importance of having a schedule and sticking to it. He would talk about the improved efficiency of those who worked to a timescale, and how everything could be accomplished within the limits imposed by the movement of the world and the suns. He made a compelling argument.

So it was that others who worked under him had taken the advice to heart and the library had flourished, a perfectly organised, completely functional place where all one's queries could be answered.

Unfortunately for Yuuno that wasn't just limited to the books and scriptures on display, he had done something no one else had ever managed to do, he'd organised the Infinity Library. He didn't know why but that seemed to give people the notion that he could solve any problem if he only put his mind to it.

As of late however, he wasn't really in a fit state to be solving much of anything and hadn't been for several months. Some of the younger members of the Library's staff had gotten it into their heads that his reliability and vast resources made him some kind of Agony Aunt who helped people with personal problems.

It was for that reason that he had spent the past three months giving the same answers to the same question asked by the same people. "No, I'm sure your boyfriend really was out with his friends last night." and "Yes, that is a perfectly fine outfit for going out in." and "If you're still having second thoughts about marriage now you wouldn't have been together for forty-five years, she's perfect for you."

It was all too much he decided as he fell into bed again, too tired even to examine his latest research. "I have to learn to say no." he muttered into his pillow before falling into dreamless sleep.

The next morning Yuuno awoke to the bright light of spring, the sounds of birds chirping and his painfully loud alarm clock. He prepared himself for another work day only this time with a new goal in mind, he would not answer any question not related to work today, he would tell people that he wasn't really the person they should come to with their problems, that no matter how embarrassing it may be there was someone better suited.

His first challenge came not five minutes after setting up his desk, a young man – well younger than him – walked up to and asked to speak to him.

"Yes, can I help you sir?" he knew the man but kept his voice cool and distant, somehow managing that feat only desk-workers or secretaries can ever accomplish of still sounding friendly.

"Um professor, I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Certainly sir would you like help finding something?" he spread his arms to indicate the shelves and shelves of reading material around them.

"Er no, it's nothing like that I just… it's… erm…. Well it's personal you see?" he looked quite worried and said in a more conspiratorial voice, "I think my girlfriend is with someone else."

How many times had he heard that one before, it was always the same and he was almost always wrong, it was a simple thing really, "Look," he gave the same answer he always did "If you think that then ask her about it, be direct. The worst that could happen is that she gets mad and breaks up with you, and if that does happen it'll show that you weren't really in love anyway. Chances are she'll understand, forgive you and you can both move on."

The man – Varel , Yuuno remembered his name was – walked away with a nod of thanks and it wasn't for several minutes that Yuuno realised he'd failed miserably, he'd done exactly what he wasn't supposed to have done.

Yuuno went home that night after failing to refrain from giving relationship or health advice to a dozen or so more people and once again fell into bed. "Tomorrow for sure." He muttered to himself, maybe if he repeated it enough he'd begin to believe it, yeah right.

Or maybe he should just start up a column in the newspaper.

* * *

Poor poor guy.


	7. Some Things Never Change

A/N: I have been having a dilema, my brain says to me "Write something now!" and yet refuses to compromise and give me a good idea. That is the reason we get pieces like this - which is nothing more than an excuse to write someone drunk really.

**Some Things Never Change**

There wasn't much that could be said for training in the dead of night Vita though as she shivered, it's effective for sure, but it's also irritating and dark and, in the winter, cold and wet to. Never the less, trainees had to be taught so people with the proper licences were needed to teach them.

Nanoha wasn't bothered (it took an awful lot to bother Nanoha) though she silently thanked all higher entities for the barrier jacket she wore, it was resistant to heat and cold as well as magic bullets. Vita on the other hand was very bothered, and she wasn't too shy to let everybody know about it either.

"Useless 'Restrictive Circumstances Real-Time Team-work Combat Simulation Training Course', stupid name for a stupid three-day visit to hell's best tourist spot…" She continued to mutter under her breath, the rest of what she was saying was lost as she put on her scarf in concession to the cold.

"Now Vita-chan it hasn't been that bad has it?" Nanoha smiled at her shorter colleague as they walked serenely back to the site's dormitory building, serenely in this case meaning slightly faster than the average walking pace.

"I guess not, but really I'd give a lot to have the old forwards back for training, that was a cakewalk compared to this." The two fell into a companionable silence for a moment, each lost in her own thoughts and memories.

Nostalgia is funny that way.

"Well, you can't expect them all to be first-class material really."

"There is that one kid, blue-haired and tall, looks kinda like Grifith without the glasses, he's pretty good."

"You mean George?"

"Yeah him," she smiled her thanks as they neared the building, "I like George, he's got a good head on his shoulders that one, knows what he's doing might make captain if he keeps working on it." Nanoha couldn't help but laugh softly as she listened to Vita talk and watched her face. "W-what, what is it?"

"Nothing it's just, you're doing it again." She smiled.

"Doing what?"

"You're showing your teacher side Vita-chan, you're proud of them, you've trained them well. It's not against the rules to let it show you know?" They had reached the dorm now (just a large cabin really), the warmth of the interior washed over them and the two sighed in relief.

"Nanoha-chan, Vita-chan over here!" loud voices called out in greeting, standing in the doorway that led to the stairs up to the other floors were the figures of the four other members of this small mission.

Shamal waved at them in welcome, shaking her head as she looked at Nanoha (who'd gone out without her own scarf…again) and came over to greet them. Near the fireplace (a real wood-burning fireplace) sat a great blue dog. He rose to his feet and nodded solemnly at the new arrivals before settling back down again.

The final two came over together and Vita's line of sight was blocked for a moment as a tiny figure in uniform flitted around her head before finally settling on her shoulder. Hayate took Vita's hands and shivered; before she knew it Vita was being guided toward the fireplace and its comfortable armchairs.

Several hours and more drink than was good for them later (It was the last day of the trip after all) they sat around the large coffee table reminiscing about times long gone.

"Y'know Hayate-shan," Nanoha slurred "this ishn't too differun- differ- it's the shame thing we did before now, jusht in a cabin in woods." she smiled in memory (a little lopsided but still a smile).

Vita, who hadn't drank and could still think clearly (after all she was the designated… well not driver but the one who would wake everyone else up in the morning. Even Zafira was drinking, it took Hayate a while to convince him but he finally agreed.) Thought that remembering the past when the present seemed so similar was a waste of working brain cells.

"You know, if life continues like this we'll never have any surprises?" she said looking around at the smiling faces.

"Yesh, Vita" Shamal this time, she held her liquor surprisingly badly, or not considering her personality "but everthing changes alwaysh, the word is in consonant flush."

"What?"

"I think she meant to say, 'the world is in constant flux'" Zafira was one who didn't seem to get drunk no matter how much he drank (or how badly Hayate spiked it.) though how he understood that was incomprehensible to Vita.

In the early hours of the morning and after much more drink that still wasn't good for them the sound of snoring echoed through the main room of the cabin-dorm. Vita sighed as she and Zafira lifted the unconscious Hayate onto her bed and covered her up. Reinforce Zwei had gone to bed two hours earlier, flying in circles and being scolded for drinking at all. (not that anyone really stopped her) "Why didn't you get drunk Zafira?"

"Over the past year or so I've been practicing recovering from the effects of common poisons and that includes alcohol."

"You mean there's an antidote for alcohol." the thought of never having to carry another drunken person to bed again fired her interest.

"Yes, indeed there is."

"What is it? What is it?"

"Sit near a plant pot… or other hollow object."

"I'm sorry but what?"

"Yeah, look in the plant pot by where I was sitting it's about half-full with vodka, whiskey, wine and whatever else the rest of you were drinking tonight it's a funny colour and I certainly hope they don't intend to put anything in there." He frowned at her "Where did you get it from anyway? And what kind of example are you setting?"

She looked around, face coloured slightly pink with guilt and said in a low conspiratorial voice "This place was well stocked with everything we could need so we raided the kitchen and found… well we found enough alcohol to knock out a regiment., plus everyone else went home but our ride doesn't get here 'til noon tomorrow."

"You know? I've been thinking for a while. Isn't this all a little too boring? Don't you think we should be doing something more important? I mean Hayate's still climbing the ladder and she should have more than this on her résumé."

Vita carefully thought about how to answer that and it came out rather slowly, so slowly in fact that she was sleeping before she really had it straight.

The next morning… well later that same morning really, she thought she had an answer. "All that stuff does get done…" she said to Zafira as the others began to recover from the previous night. "we do things that are suitably impressive as a team – just like we always have – but… not everything has to be like that." she sat down on her own bed and gazed out of the window, the sun was bright and the grass sparkled with morning dew. "Doing things like this are fine once in a while, sure we've done it before and sure some things never change." She looked at Hayate, Nanoha and Shamal struggling against the hangovers that were even now thundering inside their skulls. "But… I think…"

"Hmm, what do you think?"

"Yeah, I think some things should never change."


	8. Didn't see that coming

The next three chapter are replies to challenges from the Animesuki forums.

Write a scene between Vivio and Cinque about one confesssing to the other.

* * *

"Huh? I'm sorry but could you repeat that please?"

"Cinque-san, will you tell me why?" Vivio's brow was furrowed with determination as she stared at the fifth Combat Cyborg

"Why what exactly, Vivio?" if you looked closely you could almost see the little question mark floating around Cinque's head as she tilted it slightly to one side.

"Why you joined the Nakajima family?"

"Most of my younger sisters went either there or to join the Church. I never thought Church life would suit someone like me very well but I couldn't bear to leave my sisters."

"Cinque-san, that's… that's really admirable." Vivio's face was almost, but not quite, luminescent as she looked up at the slightly taller girl. "Y-you know, this is… this is probably a good time to say this s-so here goes." Vivio took a deep breath and the next words came in a rush, as though fighting to get out. "I've always thought that you were really admirable Cinque-san."

"Thank you?" Cinque looked confused, her one visible eye darting around the small room constantly, deliberately avoiding making eye-contact.

"So you see, I-I wanted to say this now, while we're alone, really alone." Another deep breath, "I like you Cinque-san, I've liked you for a long time now." Face flaming Vivio turned away looking for the entire world as though she were terrified of the Cyborg's answer.

But no answer came.

Vivio waited,

And waited,

But still nothing, steeling her resolve Vivio chanced a glance over her shoulder – and stared. Her eyes staring wide the Combat Cyborg Cinque lay on the floor of the room out stone cold.

"Brilliant Vivio-chan, brilliant." A voice boomed from the entryway.

"Was that sort of what you were expecting, Hayate-san, Sein-san?"

"Yes, yes! And the best part, I got it all on video!"


	9. To Reciprocate

To Reciprocate - Challenge: From the point of view of either Nanoha, Hayate or Fate write about their thoughts about telling one of the others how they feel.

* * *

We're friends aren't we? Does it matter? Is this something that only friends should do? I don't know!

No, that's not true, I do know. I know she'll understand, she always understands. She always knows just the right thing to say at the right time. Not like me, I wish I could have her courage for one moment – a tenth of her courage.

"Nanoha?" I just have to say it that's all, just have to let her know. We can work out what to do from then on together. That's what she would say 'we can do anything together'. I have to believe that.

"What is it Fate-chan? You're all red, do you have a fever?" She's always worrying about me, always on alert it seems.

"N-no, it's… it's just that I… I have something to tell you!" No, that's not right I shouldn't have shouted like that. Why can't I stay calm? Oh, this isn't going to work at all. Why am I even bothering, we should just stay as friends.

"Tell me something? Is something wrong? Your all right aren't you?" I can't back down now, I have to do it, I can't make her worry about me like this and not say anything. I've come this far haven't I? I have to carry on I can do this!

"No, no nothing like that… it's just that… just that I-I…" Why can't I say it? WHY?

"Fate-chan, Fate-chan! What's wrong? What is it?" This is it, I have to do it, right now, I have to!

"Nanoha, I like you, I really like you!"

"… **Zamber breaker."**

"Fate-chan, that was…my first time. You can…can be rather rough can't you?"


	10. Reaching the Limit

Challenge: In 200 words or less write an account of one of the 'missing scenes' in the anime. (i.e any offscreen moment.)

* * *

'Dammit, where the hell am I.' that was the thought running through Chrono's mind as he desperately searched for the others through the twisting corridors of the Garden of Time. "I knew going on my own was a mistake, but what was I supposed to do."

An explosion form somewhere to his left and up drew his attention, perhaps that was the way everyone else had gone, still fighting Precia Testarossa's robots. Orienting on the still echoing blast Chrono headed that way as fast as he could.

"Dead End" That was the third dead end sign he'd encountered, the third wall he'd ran into since beginning his search. "Why did she even put signs up in the first place?" It was highly irritating, he was supposed to be aiding his comrades is a battle against a dangerous enemy and he couldn't even find the damn door.

"I swear to whatever deity that holds dominion here if I see one more damn sign I'm going to blow the wall down." Racing down the corridors ahead of him he skidded to a stop before a strip of wood.

It read: Entrance – one floor below.

That was it. "Come on S2U, Let's go."


	11. Standing By

Not a challenge this time but another short sequence that's supposed to be funny.

* * *

Standing by

A pair of eyes, one red and one green, stared up at Hayate out of a face with trembling lips beneath which two hands balled into fists in an almost successful attempt to conceal their shaking.

"Are you telling me the truth Hayate-san?"

"Of course I'm-"

"Not, right Hayate-chan?"

"Nanoha-chan, of course I'm serious, you heard the stories when you were young to. This is a belief that's been passed down for centuries." Turning back to Vivio, Hayate prepared to continue her explanation about Halloween. "It's the one night of the year when all the spirits of the people who've passed away are permitted to return to Earth- er Mid I suppose."

"D-does that mean like ghosts and stuff?"

"That's the idea, that's why they call it All Hallows Eve, or Halloween for short." Nanoha and Hayate shared a look before she would explain the next bit, do it wrong and they'd have a flock of kids out trying to Trick-or-Treat people who had no idea what they were doing.

Following a beckoning Nanoha, Hayate followed her into the kitchen ready to be chided for her behaviour.

"You know you shouldn't tell Vivio things like that Hayate-chan."

"What's harm could it do Nanoha-chan? She'll have a nice story to tell her friends and another reason to stay in bed tonight."

Nanoha sighed, dropping her face into her hands with a look of resigned acceptance and tried patience. "You know what she's like and she's going to take this whole thing way too seriously." Another sigh "Ah well, care for a drink?"

"Sure, but nothing alcoholic I've got work tomorrow."

"Of course." Nanoha poured out three glasses of orange juice and set them on a tray that she carried out into the other room. Setting the tray on the table she handed round the glasses. "Drink up everyone."

Taking a drink from her glass Hayate immediately sprayed juice everywhere coughing. "Nanoha-chan! What was that?"

"Pumpkin juice, it is Halloween after all."

"You did that on purpose didn't you?"

"Me?"

"Never mind."

"Hayate-san?"

"What is it Vivio?" Hayate sat down next to her while dabbing at the juice stains on her top.

"When will the ghosts start to appear?" All traces of the nervousness that had been present before in her voice and actions were gone now. It had been replaced by a kind of quiet intensity.

"They say that it's always very late, when most people would be in bed, in order to avoid running into anyone I guess."

"That makes sense." Vivio was lost in thought for a while under the amused gazes of the two adults. "That's it!" she declared "I'll stand guard outside tonight; I'll meet these ghosts and learn all sorts of things!" Her announcement over Vivio leapt from the sofa and ran for the door. (She did remember to pick up her coat however. Ghosts were fun but a scolding from Nanoha-mama should always be avoided),

Watching her leave Hayate tried with limited success to stifle her laughter – at least until Vivio was out of earshot anyway – then her resolved failed and she collapsed in helpless laughter. Nanoha however was not quite so amused.

"I told you this would happen, I'll never get her back inside now."

"Just let her stand by outside there for a while. Don't worry, she'll come back in when she gets cold… or bored."

"This is what I was trying to explain to you, when she gets her mind set on something she's as bad as… well as bad as me."

"Ah – well I apologise for that."

"Don't worry about it." Standing Nanoha made her way to the front door of the house before calling, "Vivio are you all right?"

"Y-yes, there's n-nothing wron- UWWAAA!" The shrill squeal was followed almost immediately by a large bang that seemed to shake the foundations of the house.

That sound was followed by the pounding of feet running around the back of the house.

Vivio called after the retreating footsteps. "I'm sorry Zaffy! Come back!"

"And that Hayate-chan, is why you don't leave things on standby, it damages the environment."


End file.
